E1378 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks August 1, 2012 

TRIBUTE TO DR. CLEMMIE E. 

WEBBER 

HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN OF SOUTH CAROLINA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

pay tribute to an extraordinary educator, entrepreneur, author, community activist and mother. Dr. Clemmie E. Webber passed away on 

July 25, 2012, at the age of 99. This remarkable trailblazer will be sorely missed by all 

who had the honor of knowing her, and I 

count myself in that number. 

Dr. Webber was born in St. Matthews, 

South Carolina in 1913. She moved at the age 

of three with her parents, Henry W. and Colin 

Embly, to Treadwell Street in Orangeburg. 

She grew up there with her four younger siblings, and would later write a book about their 

childhood experiences. 

Education was always important to Dr. 

Webber. Her early school years were spent at 

Claflin University’s elementary department, 

and in high school she attended what is now 

South Carolina State University. She earned 

both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in 

chemistry at South Carolina State, and went 

on to earn a doctorate in science education 

from The American University. 

In 1935, at the age of 19, Dr. Webber married Paul Webber, a fellow classmate at South 

Carolina State. They were entrepreneurs who 

owned Webber Motor Sales and the Orangeburg Tigers baseball team. However, they 

were most known for their ownership of two 

soda shops in Orangeburg that were popular 

hang outs for students and provided them 

much-needed jobs. The College Soda Shop 

also became the inspiration for her second 

book. 

Dr. Webber began her teaching career at 

the former Wilkinson High School and several 

elementary schools in the area. She went on 

to teach chemistry and economics at her alma 

mater for 25 years. While a professor on 

South Carolina State’s campus, Dr. Webber 

was a catalyst for change. She led the effort 

to build the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium, which now houses the Clemmie E. 

Webber Educator Resource Center. She and 

her husband, who also served as a history 

and economics professor at South Carolina 

State, were mentors for many young people— 

myself included—during the student Movement of the 1960s. 

Her love for education extended to serving 

on the Orangeburg School District 5 Board for 

11 years. She served as Chair of that body for 

six years, and is credited with developing the 

compromise that allowed the school district to 

build the current Orangeburg-Wilkinson High 

School on U.S Highway 601. She also served 

as President of the South Carolina School 

Boards Association and was appointed to a 

five-year term as a Commissioner on the State 

Education Commission. 

Dr. Webber had an interest not only in educating young people, but helping them to develop character and be good leaders. She was 

actively involved in the Cub Scouts and Girl 

Scouts organizations, the Jack and Jill program, the Sunlight Club, and served as the 

PTA President at two schools. 

She also demonstrated her exceptional 

touch with young people at home raising three 

children—Carolyn, Sheryl, and Paul, III. Her 

nurturing nature led to her recognition as the 

South Carolina and National Mother of the 

Year in 1983. 

Dr. Webber has received numerous other 

awards and honors including the Order of the 

Palmetto, the highest honor a South Carolina 

governor can bestow on a citizen. She was 

also inducted into the South Carolina Black 

Hall of Fame, received the South Carolina 

School Boards Distinguished Service Award, 

and the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Award in recognition of her outstanding 

civic and educational achievements. In 2008, 

an Orangeburg street was renamed Webber 

Boulevard in honor of Dr. Webber and her 

husband’s contributions to the community. 

Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues 

to join me in celebrating the extraordinary life 

of Dr. Clemmie E. Webber. She led by example and gave generations of young people the 

tools they would need to excel in life. What a 

tremendous legacy she has left for the City of 

Orangeburg and the State of South Carolina. 

f 

HONORING ROBERT D. GRANT 

HON. MIKE QUIGLEY OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

honor and express my gratitude to Robert D. 

Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago 

office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

He is retiring from his position as head of the 

Chicago FBI after an outstanding 29 years of 

distinguished service to this country. 

In 1983, Mr. Grant began his career with the 

FBI and has since served in Memphis, New 

York, and San Antonio, along with several different assignments at FBI headquarters here 

in Washington, D.C., including Chief Inspector. 

Mr. Grant spent his time with the FBI committed to improving all areas of operations and 

has brought tremendous changes to fruition. In 

2005, Mr. Grant became the head of the Chicago office, where he is now the longest serving agent-in-charge in the history of that office. 

During his time in Chicago, Mr. Grant has 

overseen numerous widely-recognized investigations, from corrupt public officials to our 

most violent criminals. 

He was at the forefront of the indictment 

and convictions of several high-ranking members of the Chicago Mafia and played a key 

role in the arrest of two Chicago men on 

charges related to the 2008 terror attacks in 

Mumbai, India. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Grant has received numerous accolades for his impressive 

service, ranging from local community group 

recognition to the 2008 Presidential Rank 

Service Award. 

While acknowledging Special Agent-inCharge Grant today for his three decades of 

service, we also reaffirm our appreciation to all 

of the brave men and women of the United 

States law enforcement community, who work 

every day to protect our families and keep our 

country safe. 

Once more, we thank Mr. Grant for his integrity, leadership, and dedication to the FBI 

and our country. And we wish him the best of 

luck in his future endeavors. 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. GWEN MOORE OF WISCONSIN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 

Ms. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I was absent 

from votes in the House Tuesday afternoon 

(July 31). My flight was unavoidably delayed 

on my return to Washington from Milwaukee, 

WI due to bad weather. 

Had I been present— 

(1) I would have voted ‘‘yea’’ on rollcall No. 

537—S. 679—Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011. 

(2) I would have voted ‘‘nay’’ on rollcall No. 

538—H.R. 828—Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2011, as amended. 

(3) I would have voted ‘‘nay’’ on rollcall No. 

539—H.R. 3803—District of Columbia PainCapable Unborn Child Protection Act. 

f 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. RICHARD L. HANNA OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 

Mr. HANNA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 

537, I was unavoidably absent. Had I been 

present, I would have voted ‘‘yes.’’ 

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 538, I was unavoidably absent. Had I been present, I would 

have voted ‘‘yes.’’ 

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 539, due to severe thunderstorms over the Northeast, my 

flight was unavoidably delayed. Had I been 

present, I would have voted ‘‘no.’’ 

f 

TRIBUTE TO RONALD F. DASH 

HON. JON RUNYAN OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 

Mr. RUNYAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

pay tribute to one of my constituents, Ronald 

F. Dash, a resident of the Township of 

Willingboro, Burlington County, New Jersey in 

recognition of his outstanding service on behalf of veterans throughout the State of New 

Jersey. Ronald F. Dash has served as Chairman of the Willingboro Veterans Advisory 

Committee and as the Advisor to Willingboro’s 

Mayor and Council on Veterans Issues. He 

also serves on my Military Academy Advisory 

Committee which makes recommendations for 

young men and women from New Jersey’s 

Third District who are applying to attend one 

of our nation’s service academies. 

Ronald F. Dash served his country with 

honor and valor as a member of the United 

States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, 

where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. After his Marine Corps (USMC) 

service in Vietnam, he served in the Army Reserves and then transitioned to the Army National Guard attaining a final military rank of 

Staff Sergeant (E6). 

He has given generously of his time, energies, and resources as a Commander and 

State Chaplain in the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 26, and as a member of the 


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